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Self Help
Parents under scrutiny of child protection workers face tremendous pressure and distress. They endure unspeakable horror under the threat of child removal. Motivated by job security and financial interests, service providers unleash their formidable statutory power to launch coordinated attack on unsuspecting parents and engage them in endless legal battles. Few parents could find timely and effective help from a society that knows little on the true nature of the child protection industry.
Let's begin with some self help tips.
How to organize your case
If you are planning to go public, seeking legal advice or preparing your defence, you must first compile your case particulars. The following guidelines may assist you to get organized.
- Date of removal
- Reason for removal (eg. unexplainable physical injury, physical/sexual/mental abuse, neglect, drugs/alcohol)
- Placement and location (foster home, relatives, friends, community if known)
- Date of Hearing
- Was disclosure provided to you complete (all intake reports, few blacked-out sections, risk assessment, other)?
- Was a comprehensive risk assessment provided?
- Date of Case Conference, if any?
- Dates of intake reports and details?
- Any offer of mediation by MCFD?
- Medical and mental (psychological) conditions of yourself and children
- Source of complaint if known (anonymous, daycare, school, church, babysitter etc.)
- Location of removal (school, home, church, daycare, hospital)
- Is police involved or not (eg. any on-going criminal investigation, criminal charges laid)?
- What the Ministry is seeking (3/6-month extension, CCO, Supervision order)?
- Did Ministry offer any services before removal (parenting course, anger control management, etc.)?
- Has Ministry offered services since the removal?
- Has Ministry asked you to participate in a Parental Capacity Assessment?
- Has Ministry put your child through abuse examination (ie. HEAL Clinic in Surrey or other location)?
- Has Ministry indicated they wish to have a psychologist examine your child?
- Region and office location (ie. Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, Interior, North, Vancouver Island) having jurisdiction of your file
- Name of MCFD lawyer and primary social worker and their team leader, and community service manager
- Are you represented by a lawyer (legal aid or not)?
- Are you using an advocate to accompany you in court and in MCFD meetings?
- Communications with MCFD (cordial, non-existent, animosity, email, phone, in person, etc.)
- What does MCFD want from you in order to return your child(ren)?
- Visitation arrangements (supervised at home, at facility, number of hours, visits per week)
- Is MCFD requiring you to take time off work in order to make these visits?
- Are you receiving copies of the supervision reports (if not, ask for them)?
- Voice contact allowed (yes, no, constrained, webcam, monitored by foster parent)
- Is community support available (ie. church, ethnic association etc.)?
- Do you have relatives that can take child instead of foster care?
- Do Family Relations Act custody issues exist with another parent, or relative?
List of support that could help
- emotional and peer support;
- meetings or connections with other parents who have received services from the MCFD to share experience and to exchange opinions;
- understand the tactics, structure and the motivating factors of the child protection industry;
- get involved in support groups;
- go public.